


Kisses From the Sun on Your Unmoving Heart

by oinkjungjung



Category: NINE PERCENT (Band), 偶像练习生 | Idol Producer (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Blood, M/M, vampire xukun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-09
Updated: 2019-01-29
Packaged: 2019-10-07 04:53:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17359346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oinkjungjung/pseuds/oinkjungjung
Summary: When an unfortunate turn of events brought them together, they might just end up being what each other needed.aka the one where Xukun is a cold vampire and Zhengting brings unexpected warmth into his life





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story set in a world where humans and vampires live peacefully together. The vampires are just like humans but they have red eyes, they are immortal and they need blood to survive - so they can go under the sun and they can eat/drink human food if they want but it would not be for sustenance.

It was on a Wednesday afternoon, when the café was pretty empty and business had slowed down when Xukun first set eyes on him. It had been his first time visiting the café just along the streets outside the university in that area despite having moved into this district for a little over a month now.

While a cup of fancy, slightly overpriced coffee was what he originally intended to get, Xukun ended up with what felt like a little flutter in his heart – of course that wasn’t possible, but he suppose that would be what it would have felt like if his heart was still beating.

He had gone about it exactly how he would visit any café, but the only difference was that he was greeted by a lovely, lovely smile at the counter. The boy over the counter had a head of fluffy honey coloured hair, the softest brown eyes and the sweetest smile that made Xukun feel warm inside his cold body. The name tag on his uniform wrote ‘Zhengting’ which Xukun made a mental note of because there’s something about this boy, the epitome of innocence and warmth, a stark contrast to the coldness of his, silver hair and sharp edges, that made him want more.

And from that day on, seeing Xukun in the café became a common occurrence.

 

Despite how things may be going well for Xukun, things aren’t looking too good for the cheery barista. That night, just as he was about to go to sleep, Zhengting received a phone call from his mother. While they do chat on the phone regularly, they were usually pre-arranged calls that fit into both their schedules so for his mom to call him so late at night when she knows he would be resting had seemed very off. And as he had expected, something has cropped up at home.

His dad had met with an accident and is currently resting up in the hospital. Thankfully he is not in danger now but he will not be able to work for sometime and the hospital fees are going to be putting a strain on their already tight finances. Zhengting did not come from a very well to do background, they were able to afford what they need but usual don’t end up with much to spare on anything other than the very necessities. This was why Zhengting had been working at the café despite still being a student in college, he had wanted to help out his family in anyway he could even if it was just by a little.

Hearing his mother’s panicked voice as she shared the news made him anxious, he wanted to comfort his mother and tell her that she had nothing to worry about, but at the same time he had absolutely no idea how he could help out. But being the filial son he was, he put up a tough front and promised his mother that he would settle it, asking her to get the hospital to contact him instead.

That night, Zhengting had not managed to get much rest, being all too worked up to allow himself to relax.

 

Upon sharing with the hospital their financial situation, they had suggested the alternative of blood donation. The hospitals are always in need for blood bags, be it for their own use on the patients or for the vampires ever since the laws have restricted the sale of blood bags to only being allowed through hospitals. The process of the donation is safe and legal, monitored by the laws and the government.

By donating, they can make use of the payments from the blood bags to make up for their shortage in funds. However, upon sitting down to calculate and plan everything out, something Zhengting wasn’t used to doing but forced himself to, he realized this was not going to work out. He couldn’t possibly make his parents donate, and one of his sister was pregnant while the other was anemic. There also a strict limit to how much one person can donate and so there was no way he would be able to get enough money in time to pay.

 

That being said, as he was researching on blood donation, he found himself stumbling across a blood donor contracting service, which apparently pays really well. One of the links led him to a pretty decent and even prestigious looking website. It was the official website of a company called Crimson which stated that it “Strives to help both vampires and human donors by providing a safe and reliable platform for blood donation.”

If Zhengting was being honest, he would admit to feeling a little doubtful about this and maybe even feeling a little scared but desperate times calls for desperate measures and he really did not have much alternatives left.

Just to be safe, Zhengting looked into the reviews page on the website and reviews made by people on various blogs. Most of them seemed to be pretty positive reviews about the Crimson though some blogs warned against the vampires, Crimson may provide protection and legal action against the vampires but what’s done would have been done. The reviewer emphasized the importance of finding match that can be trusted.

 

Zhengting found himself at the doors of a very modern and sleek building down town. He suppose he shouldn’t be surprised if their website had been anything to go by but he still was. As he walked passed the doors, he was greeted by two men clad in well-fitted suits, looking very professional while still being amiable and friendly with the smiles on their faces.

The taller man had a perfect looking set of dimples decorating his smile, drawing in people’s attention but at the same time, he had this aura going on that made him a little intimidating despite the friendly smile. The other male on the other hand had looked much more approachable. In fact, Zhengting would even consider calling him cute with that head of fluffy brown hair and his more petite stature. 

Zhengting was ushered into the one of the rooms at the back upon confirming with them that he was there to find out more about being a blood donor and not just stumbling in there by chance because he was lost or something.

 

While the walk probably only took a short few minutes, it felt as though hours had gone by for Zhengting. His head swimming with thoughts as he started to worry about every single little detail he can possibly think of, from the reliability of this place, to his safety, to silly things like how he might be underdressed for this place seeing all the pretty suits and pristine décor.

He was finally settled down in a private room when the smaller male, who introduced himself as Zhangjing, asked if he was human. Upon Zhengting’s reply, the taller one left the room, leaving the two to talk in private.

“You look really nervous, have some tea.” Zhangjing says as he offered some tea, which made Zhengting believe he was being very obvious about being nervous, stopping his hands that were busy fiddling with his shirt to reach for the cup.

“I understand that this may seem very scary and daunting, I was scared too when I first started work here.”

As Zhengting was given the choice of small talk or going straight to the point, he chose the latter, wanting to get this over and done with rather than dragging it out. Besides, he knew he wouldn’t be able to fully relax as long as he is here anyway.

So Zhangjing explains how things operate here and the various details of the service. Crimson helps both blood donors and vampires find a match, and will be there to coordinate and facilitate the entire process from constructing of the contract, to the signing, to the enforcing of it should either party not fulfill their role along the way. Crimson will also provide all the necessary information required to make a decision, information like if the possible matches has had contracts made through them before, how did those contracts go. Likewise, Zhengting would also have to go through a full body health check up and provide blood samples for the vampires to choose from if he decides to go through with it. Then, an auction will take place but the human can always decline an offer. That being said, Crimson will only hold a maximum of eight auctions for a donor.

Zhangjing also introduced various contract details that Zhengting would have to consider. He would have to decide the minimum payment he is asking for, the contract duration and how often will the feeding occur. He would also have to decide on the kind of feeds he would be open to – full feeds are needed for sustenance and vampires need them once a week if they are not relying on other forms of blood source while play feeds are not necessary for survival but is another form of feeding that typically drains less blood and is less taxing on the human. 

Most vampires are looking for full feeds, and will be willing to pay extra when together with play feeds. But play feeds only contracts are an alternative for some first time donors who may find full feeds daunting, though not many of such contracts are made. Full feeds do often leave the donors feeling weak for a couple of hours especially for first timers, while play feeds are usually not as demanding.

Zhengting was told that it was protocol that the donors are not allowed to decide on the spot and that if he wanted to go through with this, he would have to come back again on another day. 

 

Having been dumped with so much new information, Zhengting was grateful for the chance to go back and digest them. But this left him with a head noisier than ever. It kept him distracted all through class and now even through work.

 

The rush hour crowd had finally started to die out when Xukun arrived at the café, just like every other day, planning everything out so that he would be here when it’s less busy.

Just like always, he was looking forward to being greeted by the bright smile of his favourite barista. But today, he did not receive that.

Zhengting had been distracted, his mind somewhere else and his body operating entirely on autopilot as he took Xukun’s order. 

This did not upset Xukun though, it made him worried instead. Did something happen? Was Zhengting not feeling well? And it was this worry that fueled Xukun to leave a little note on a paper napkin, one he wasn’t sure will be well received or even seen, something that he would usually never do but he did, all because of the little frown on Zhengting’s face. 

As Zhengting saw Xukun leave, he headed over to clear his table but was greeted with a little surprise, “I love your smile. It reminds me of the smile of the person whom I want to marry someday. Smile again soon, ok?”

 

Zhengting found himself back at Crimson the next day, having decided to give this a try. He discussed with Zhangjing the terms he would like to include in his contract and what terms could help Zhengting obtain the amount of money he needed in time. In the end, they decided to go with a 3 month contract with a full feed every week. 

It is not a lie that Zhengting does feel rather scared, he doesn’t know what to expect and doesn’t even think he has ever met a vampire before. But he forces himself through this, knowing that this could help with his family’s situation and that if he really needs to, there’s still a chance to back out.

 

Zhengting was heading towards the café after finishing his health check up at Crimson and had also provided the blood samples required. It was a little weird seeing the vials of his own blood knowing that they are going to be used for taste test for whichever vampire coming into Crimson.

As Zhengting was again lost in his thoughts, he found himself bumping into someone right as he was at the door of the café. It was the regular that had left him the note on the napkin the previous day. Blood rushed towards his cheeks, heating them up as the words flashed in his head. Not knowing what to do, Zhengting did what he knows best, flee, apologizing for knocking into the other and rushing into the café immediately.

As Xukun goes to order from Zhengting, he found his suspicions right, that was blood he smelled on Zhengting at the door previously. There did not seem to be any visible injuries on him though. Xukun hopes that Zhengting was doing all right especially after how down he had been the day before. Though the way the barista blushed and reacted gave him hope that everything was fine, and it also motivated Xukun to again leave another note that day, despite how he had been fretting and almost regretting his actions all night.

This was not like him at all, Cai Xukun never worried about anyone, he didn’t even have anyone near him to care about anyway, living his long immortal live all alone. He had closed himself off from others a long time ago, so why is he like this now?

“If you were ground coffee, you would be espresso because you are so fine. PS hope you are feeling better.”

 

Xukun had been trying to find a blood donor for some time now. He had not fed from someone in a long time, having been way too many years to even count. He was fine with using blood bags though, just a bag of the blood he needed, no feelings attached. But it was no denying that blood bags did not sustain vampires as well, thus making them require a huge amount of them all the time. Yes, he had been using them for a long time, was used to them in fact, but maybe it would be nice to not have to head down to the hospital every so often to get them, especially with the new laws limiting the number of bags each vampire could get at a time. 

So here he was, at Crimson for a taste test for the auction happening that weekend. Personally, Xukun didn’t really care much about the taste given that he had been surviving off bags of blood from random people for so long. He’s pretty sure he had already tasted all that is possible by now. But since he was going to have to live off one particular person’s blood for an extended period of time, he would rather it be one that he finds decent tasting. Or maybe he just wanted an excuse to not go down to the auction so that he didn’t have to be bound down by a contract with someone. But of course the part of him wanting decent tasting blood still stands, he knows for a fact that he didn’t want to relive the memories he had of those few days a couple of years back, surviving on a particularly foul tasting bag.

Yanjun, a fellow vampire working at Crimson led him towards the hall where the auction would be taking place in a couple of days. At the center of the stage stood an intricate looking stand where blood from various donor candidates were kept in exquisite looking vials.

Xukun was offered samples of the different vials of blood by Yanjun who expertly handles the various vials and metal dippers like those used for honey. None of them really stood out to Xukun, which wasn’t a bad thing as it meant that they tasted all right, until he reached the very last one.

From the very moment that Yanjun popped the cap off the vial, Xukun found himself confronted with a very familiar scent, one he swore smells exactly like the one he smelled on Zhengting that other day. 

It didn’t take long for him to put two and two together – Zhengting is a blood donor candidate.

While Xukun felt a little weird doing so, he did end up sampling the blood he suspected to be Zhengting’s. But that was not the point, because before he knew it, he had already told Yanjun that he would be attending the auction that week.

 

Now that Xukun knows what Zhengting was going through, it really puts what he had observed into perspective. The smell of blood oozing from him, the way Zhengting had seemed distracted that day and the few days leading up to the auction. 

Zhengting had been looking distracted and all again, seeming as though he was always worrying about something. So Xukun did what he had been doing but no longer even hesitating, leaving more notes for Zhengting to pick up after he leaves, hoping that they could cheer the human up a little and that they would help even if it’s just a little.

 

The day of the auction was finally here, and Zhengting could not be more nervous. He can literally feel himself shaking as he sat back stage alongside a few others like him. Zhangjing had been with him until just a while ago, have been trying to comfort him and also emphasizing that he doesn’t have to do this if he doesn’t want to. But all that had not seemed very useful in getting him to calm down, as his heart continued pounding rapidly against his ribcage.

The other donors were ushered on stage one at a time. He could hear the sound of the bidding from where he sat. And finally, it was his turn.

The first few minutes had felt like a blur, Zhengting was way too caught up in his own thoughts to register anything that had happened. He did not notice the way Zhangjing gave his shoulder a little squeeze, nor Yanjun introducing him and the terms he had asked for, nor the pairs of red coloured eyes staring up at him from the crowd down at the seats. Some were eyeing him up and down, some were not interested and were trying to find something interesting to focus on, and one particular pair was just staring at him, eyes not wandering all over but just focusing on Zhengting’s eyes and eyes alone. 

When Zhengting had finally snapped out of his thoughts, the bidding had already began. The amount was jumping high fast as there were quite a few contenders. Turning to look at the ones bidding had him finally noticing a familiar head of silver hair among the crowd. It was the regular at the café that had been leaving him notes. 

Zhengting was as shocked as he was confused, not quite grasping the idea that Xukun had been a vampire, he didn’t know what to do and what to think about this situation. He had thought that the other had been flirting with him, so what does it mean now if he’s trying to bid for the contract with him.

Zhengting finds himself slightly afraid, not understanding the situation. But as the bidding drew to an end, Zhengting found himself taking the leap of faith as he chose Xukun to be his match, hoping that the conclusions he had drawn from the notes left behind were right, that at the very least Xukun was nice and maybe a little caring.


	2. Chapter 2

After the auction, the two were ushered into a private room by Yanjun and Zhangjing where they went through the exact details of the contract they were about to sign. A three month contract of one full feed a week. Zhengting is to go over to Xukun’s place every Friday.

All through the discussion, Zhengting found his thoughts floating over to Xukun every so often, but he always caught himself and tried his best to focus on the matter at hand, because this is important. Xukun, on the other hand, found himself observing the former closely, trying to guess what was on his mind and how he was reacting to this.

Despite how both had been preoccupied by one another, they did not share a single word, simply conveying their thoughts through the two Crimson representatives. The contract was signed and thus, their fate was bound to each other’s, at least for the next three months.

 

Friday came way too fast for Zhengting’s liking. He had barely even remembered doing anything for the week and all of a sudden, it was time for him to fulfill his end of the contract.

Zhengting had followed the directions he was given when they had signed the contract and arrived at the doors of a beautiful penthouse. It didn’t take long for Xukun to let him in and not knowing what to do, Zhengting just sat down on the sofa as he waited for the other to join him. The place was rather large and really nicely decorated with its black and white theme. Though it was nice, it did seem to be lacking a personal touch, what with the whole place looking as though it jumped right out of a home catalogue.

When he felt the sofa dip under the weight of the other, Zhengting was torn away from his thoughts, nerves filling him again. He had tried to prepare himself for what is to come the past few days, reading up online about how the feeds were like and going through in his head all the possible ways this could pan out. He tried to make himself less scared and nervous, had really tried, but he just couldn’t help it that that was the state he was in now – scared and nervous.

As a hand landed on his shoulder and Zhengting jumped. It wasn’t intentional, unconscious even, but he squeezed his eyes shut as he braced himself for the jolt of pain everyone online kept talking about. But it never came.

Instead, he felt the hand leave his shoulder before feeling it grab his hands, rubbing circles on them. “Say how about we have a talk first.” 

They introduced themselves to one another as though it was their first meeting, Zhengting finally learning the vampire’s name after all this while. After a short chat that appeared to have helped Zhengting calm down a little, Xukun made his proposition, “I will give you as much time as you need, I won’t force you and neither do you have to force yourself. We can just delay the contract period, we can go down to Crimson to have it written down officially, it’s ok.”

While this may seem like a good proposition, at least for Zhengting, he disagreed, wanting to follow up with the contract because it was a decision he had made.

They two actually ended up arguing slightly, going back and forth but only because they wanted to be considerate to the other. It took some time, but they both compromised and decided that Xukun would feed that day, but not a full feed, just one to give Zhengting a feel of what a feed feels like.

After they had come to a consensus, Xukun had closed the gap between the two, having seated slightly a part before. He could hear Zhengting’s heart pounding as he neared. He reached for Zhengting’s collar, tugging it to the side before he finally sank his fangs into the fair skin now exposed. 

Zhengting had flinched slightly when Xukun’s sharp fangs had made the first contact with his neck, whimpering slightly from the pain. But before long, the area where the bite was started to numb, and all Zhengting felt was fatigue, slumping into the sofa as Xukun withdrew. 

He had probably drank what would be around one fifth of the amount of blood he was supposed to have for a full feed, but the effect on the human had already been apparent, making him glad that he managed to persuade Zhengting out of a full feed for the time being.

Xukun got up, headed to the kitchen to grab some water and some nuts and berries. Nudging Zhengting softly when he got back, he made sure the human got enough food and water in him as while letting him rest up for however long he needed. 

That night, Zhengting left on his own after insisting that he was well enough to go back on his own but right before he left, Xukun whispered, “I will not do full feeds until you are ready.”

Zhengting had been upset hearing that, but more at himself than at Xukun, thinking that he wasn’t able to uphold his word and now has to burden Xukun with his problems. But at the same time, there was this side of him that felt glad, knowing now that he was in fact not ready for a full feed and not only had Xukun noticed, he had given him time. Zhengting found himself more reassured now that he knows the vampire he was contracted to was caring and gentle.

 

Once alone, Xukun fetched two bags of blood he had prepared beforehand, drinking from them rather hungrily and messily. It had been quite a few days since he last feed and even then it hadn’t been quite enough. As he was feeding from Zhengting earlier, it was as though his body had recognized that it was fresh blood from a human and not blood bags, making him want more but he had stopped himself, keeping to his word. That being said, he really needed more blood and if he were to continue this arrangement with Zhengting, he would probably have to stock up on more blood bags.

 

When Zhengting showed up at the café for work on Monday, he has to admit to being quite surprised to see Xukun there too. In fact, the vampire had continued to show up at every one of Zhengting’s shift just like before. It is not to say that he was not welcomed, but Zhengting couldn’t help but feel slightly awkward when Xukun was around, especially outside now that he was officially his blood donor. Nevertheless, Zhengting still felt his heart flutter every single time he cleared Xukun’s table and saw the note left behind for him.

 

Before long, it was Friday again. Zhengting can still feel the butterflies in his stomach as he stood outside of Xukun’s place, but this time, he was feeling less nervous, feeling the resolve pulsing through him strongly instead.

The moment the door swung open, Zhengting made his request, asking for a full feed, looking determined with his eyes sharp, lips pursed. Xukun was about to protest, arguing that Zhengting wasn’t ready yet but before he could say a word, he was cut off by the former, “I am still scared, I admit that. But I will never be ready if you don’t feed now.”

And right as those words left Zhengting’s lips, he could already feel Xukun’s hands on his shoulder as those sharp fangs sunk themselves into his neck.

It started out like how it did the previous week, with the area growing numb before fatigue starts setting in. But as time went on, the effects of the feed grew. Zhengting could feel the fog clouding his head, dulling the headache he had been having. And while Zhengting himself didn’t realize it, his legs had started to tremble, limbs growing weak, straining to support his body weight. But Xukun did, hands moving from the other’s shoulders to his waist as he lets Zhengting lean on himself for support before guiding them both towards the sofa which they collapsed into.

Zhengting didn’t register how his breathing quickened, how close the vampire was hovering over him, how Xukun was lapping at his neck. The lack of feeling and control over his body scared Zhengting a little, he felt so vulnerable, but the way the hands on his waist caressed him softly soothed him.

As Xukun’s thirst subsided, he withdrew, only then noticing how pale and worn Zhengting looks. Of course the state he was in was one that they should have both expected, but seeing his source of warmth and comfort looking so vulnerable tugged at Xukun’s unmoving heart.

The vampire quickly made to help the other get more comfortable, scooping him up into his arms gently as he moved Zhengting into his guestroom, laying him down slowly onto the soft mattress where he could rest comfortably. 

Xukun then went and fetched everything they may need, food, water, blankets and stayed close by Zhengting’s side, ready to assist him in any way he may need. He helped the latter stay warm, running his hands through the other’s soft honey brown locks as he slept and even helping the other seat up and feeding him.

Zhengting ended up staying the night, spending the whole time sleeping, only waking up once in a while for some water and food, all his energy spent on making up for the blood lost.

 

As the sun rose the next morning, light filtering in through the curtains, Zhengting finally woke up, feeling much better than he had been before but the effects were not yet gone. His limbs and neck still felt a little numb but at least he had regained feeling in them. His lips were still pale and was still feeling a little light headed but he thought he could make it home before sleeping the day off. 

As he made to seat up, the vampire immediately jolted up, moving to help him out immediately.

“I think I can go home now.” and “Let me send you home.” were said at the same time. And while Zhengtng did want to reject the offer, he knew that the help would be much appreciated, and he also didn’t have the energy in him to try and argue so he accepted the offer. 

Xukun helped Zhengting towards his car, arm on the other’s shoulders as he supported most of Zhengting’s bodyweight. They settled in and upon getting the address from the human, they drove off.

Along the way, they barely talked, just like the previous night. It wasn’t awkward, both knowing that one of them should rest up instead, small talks were not important. That being said, Xukun couldn’t help but ask out of concern, “Will there be anyone around to help take care of you?” to which he received the reply of “I live in a hostel, there’s plenty of people around.”

Xukun had wanted to help Zhengting up to his room, but the latter refused and the vampire didn’t insist, allowing the other to leave on his own but not without adjusting the blue sweater Zhengting was wearing to try and cover the obvious bite mark a little.

 

Zhengting slowly and quietly made his way back to his dorm room, trying to not attract attention from the large number of people in the hostel while dragging his tired body along. He almost made it, but it was just his luck that he was caught just as he was opening his door.

“Where were you all night?” came from behind him, the familiar voice signaling to him exactly who it was that had caught him. Zhengting turned around slowly, trying his best to not make his world spin anymore that it already seemed to be. Before he could try and come up with some excuse though, he was met with Justin’s shocked face and was ushered into his own room before his exhausted body could even react. He was made to lie down in bed as the younger fussed around, trying to make sure that he wasn’t hurt anywhere else.

When Justin had finally calmed down, he tried asking Zhengting what had happened to which the latter had only replied that he was not feeling well, subtly trying to deflect any other questions the younger had for him, not wanting to worry anyone. Usually, Justin would be one to never give up, questions relentless as he made sure he got the truth out of others. But seeing his dear friend so so tired, he decided to not pursue this for now, to let Zhengting rest up. That being said, Justin knew he would get the truth out of the older eventually, the slight bruising and the small puncture wound on Zhengting’s neck not leaving his mind.

 

The week went on, everything falling into routine. Xukun continued to visit Zhengting at the café, leaving notes behind every single time. Zhengting headed to Xukun’s place yet again where the vampire fed. This time round though, they got a chance to talk before feeding. Xukun had prepared quite a scrumptious meal for the human so that he could have something to eat before the feeding. 

As Zhengting ate, they got a chance to chat unlike before. It was then Xukun had apologized for feeding so rashly the week before, that they should have been more calm and rational going about it, and that it had been his responsibility to ensure that. Zhengting had no reply to that, just accepting the apology but recognizing that he was to blame as well.

The conversation soon shifted towards why they were both looking for a match at Crimson. Zhengting had hesitated in sharing his reasons, but for the past few weeks he had known the vampire, he had been nothing but sweet and caring, encouraging him to share, despite not having even told his closest friends about the situation at home.

 

When Zhengting got back the next morning, he found Justin waiting for him at his door. From the looks of things, Zhengting knew there was no way Justin was going to let him get away with it again. 

In the privacy of his dorm room, Zhengting told the younger everything. He told him about what happened at home, about how he came to know of Crimson, how he met Xukun and the contract that they shared. He told him about the way Xukun had not wanted to push him but instead had given him time, how he took care of him and how he continued to go to the café.

Pouring out everything that had been muddling him had given Zhengting a weird sense of relief. While Justin had mostly just listened, the older was still grateful for being able to share all these things that he had kept secret from everyone. 

As Justin left Zhengting to rest, the latter made him promise to not tell anyone about what was happening.

 

While Justin had kept his promise of not spilling, Zhengting couldn’t help but notice the change in his behavior. The younger now fussed over him a lot, always making sure that he was feeling alright. He had even camped at the café one day in an attempt to meet this mysterious Cai Xukun.

When thinking about how Justin’s encounter with Xukun had went, Zhengting could only say he was embarrassed as the image of young Justin walking over to the vampire, trying to look tough and intimidating flashes in Zhengting’s brain.

Maybe telling Justin what had happened wasn’t that great an idea after all as Zhengting wonders how he was going to face Xukun.


	3. Chapter 3

Over the following weeks, the two went on with the routine they found themselves falling into, having chances to get to know each other better while still fulfilling their contractual feeds every week. Despite how everything had appeared to calm down, Zhengting couldn’t help but question what exactly it was between them. He may know about how good of a cook Xukun was, or the exact shade of red his eyes were, but he still didn’t know why the vampire bid for him, or why he kept visiting him at the café, why he even left sweet notes behind for him. And these thoughts have been troubling Zhengting’s poor little head more and more.

 

Soon, it was yet again the season for Zhengting to be busy with his annual dance showcase for his school, preparations for it hitting with full force before he even had the time to adjust. It wasn’t at all a surprise for the dancer to find himself worn out from all this practice, his years of experience had been enough to warn him of how crazy that month would be, but Zhengting being Zhengting had been too stubborn to realize that he may have packed on way too much for himself to handle this time round.

 

Friday approached again, and while Zhengting had long outgrown the fear and nervousness he once had going in, they were instead replaced with waves of nausea and a pounding headache. He should probably be resting at home but no, there’s no way Zhengting was going to allow himself to back out of this just because of he wasn’t at tip top condition. “Besides, I would just spend most of the day laying in bed resting anyway after the feed.” was the stupid excuse Zhengting had told himself.

Thankfully, he had someone who was observant and rational enough to take care of him.

From the very moment Xukun had let Zhengting in, he had noticed something was off about the latter, the grace Zhengting always had wasn’t there, instead he had been dragging his feet and moving slowly, as though his limbs were tied down with weights. 

Xukun had tried asking the other if he had been feeling all right, to which the other had only brushed off his concern, insisting that he was fine, something that the former could clearly tell was a lie.

It was only when Zhengting had started swaying, his sense of balance thrown out of the window, that he finally reached over to Xukun for support, admitting to both Xukun and himself just how horrible he felt. 

It was obvious no feeding would occur that day, but Xukun still ended up helping the other to bed, where he rested for the day with Xukun taking care of him the way he always did despite not having taken a single drop of blood from Zhengting that day.

There, Zhengting admitted to possibly spreading himself too thin, taking on too much for himself to cope with. He had school, work, dance and now this contract. He was not having enough rest and hadn’t been eating quite as much and it’s all piling up now and hitting him all at once. 

Xukun listened, trying his best to provide a good listening ear as the other admits to what he seemed to have kept to himself all this time. While what Zhengting had done may not have been commendable, Xukun knowing the burdens of his family’s financial problems, tried to offer up whatever comfort he could, running his hand through the other’s hair and at one point even moving to pull Zhengting into his arms.

But he couldn’t help himself when he asked, “Why do you still work at the café?” the implication to that question was obvious, wasn’t the money from this contract enough?

“While you were really nice to me, this is not something I want to do in the long run.” Zhengting admits, speaking so softly Xukun had to strain to hear it. “Don’t get me wrong, you are not the problem, but not everyone is going to be this nice. I may not be so lucky the next time. And, to rely on one person for my financial support… It’s too much for me.”

Hearing that did cause what would have felt like a pang to his heart, if only it was still beating, but Xukun could understand where Zhengting was coming from. Besides, the only thing binding them together now was their contract, one that really puts the human in a very vulnerable position, so it should be no surprise that Zhengting would not want to continue it in the future. 

But a part of Xukun just can’t help but wonder if there was anything else between the two of them at all.

 

As Zhengting was about to get off Xukun’s car the next day, Xukun made the human promise to let him know the next time he’s not feeling well, and that he would take better care of himself. The vampire also suggested that Zhengting work less days at the café if he couldn’t totally quit because he was going to continue his job there in the future.

 

For the next couple of weeks, things went on a lot more smoothly. Zhengting was definitely still very busy, considering the fact that he had so many things to juggle, but he had managed to keep to his promise to Xukun, at least as much as he could. He had managed to cut down the number of shifts he had after a long discussion with his manager, and had made an effort to eat his meals regularly, forcing himself to not skip any meals. Zhengting was definitely feeling much better than he had that day, but he could tell that he was still not yet back to his usual form.

 

It was a week before his dance showcase, his progress had been good and Zhengting had been pretty confident that he would be able to put on an amazing performance.

He was almost ready to call it a day, after all it had already been midnight. “Just one last run.” had been what Zhengting thought, starting up the music again as he got to his starting position.

He lost himself in the dance, letting his body flow along with the music, movements sharp yet graceful despite having been at it for the whole day. It had been going so well, so so well. So why did he find himself lying on the ground, curling in on himself the very next moment, even as the music continued to blast from the speakers.

Zhengting didn’t know how long he had laid there, the music having long ended, the room dead silent, only his own deep breathes could be heard. And it was only then had he realized the tears running down his face, that the deep breathes had not only been from the dance, or the pain, but also from his cries.

There, all alone in the dance practice room, and even possibly the whole block, Zhengting laid, even as his cries had subsided.

It was the sound of his phone vibrating incessantly against the bench that had finally jolted him out of his thoughts. Zhengting had slowly slid across the room, dragging his swollen ankle along until his phone was finally within his reach.

It had been Justin that was calling him, along with the twelve other calls he had made in the past hour or so. As the call ended, Zhengting laid exactly where he had been, unmoving for the next twenty minutes as Justin rushes over to fetch him.

 

At the hospital, the doctor had told him that he had sprained his ankle, and that he was not to strain in for the next three weeks. He would not be able to perform for his showcase.

In a way, Zhengting knew he was not going to be able to the moment he had taken a look at his ankle. But maybe there had been a tiny part of him that had held out hope. And now even that tiny speck of hope had been tarnished. The ache he felt was not only in his ankle, but also in his chest.

 

Friday came too quickly yet again. 

When Xukun had opened his door, he had truly been shocked. He was greeted by a sight of Zhengting looking absolutely worn and the stark white bandages on his ankle had told him exactly what had happened. The vampire knew that Zhengting was a dancer, and that a showcase was coming up which was why he had been so busy lately.

Xukun quickly helped Zhengting in, asking if he was ok and offering to not feed and to rest instead. But he was shocked by the response he got in return. 

“No! You have to feed today!” Zhengting had shouted, hands gripping onto Xukun’s arms tightly, red rimmed eyes staring right into Xukun’s. “You have to feed today. You have always been so kind and accommodating but all I have ever done was not fulfilling my end of the contract and being a burden. You have to feed... For me please…”

The last three words had been whispered, but Xukun caught them. He had never seen Zhengting this way before, not even when he had admitted to not taking good care of himself or how he wasn’t going to continue being a blood donor. Xukun had never seen the human this broken, this upset. And while Zhengting had raised his voice at Xukun, the latter knew that it was not him Zhengting was angry at, but Zhengting himself.

And so, Xukun fed. 

 

When Zhengting woke up the next day, he had continued to lay in bed for some time, silently on his own as the gears in his head turned. It was only when Xukun had finally noticed that Zhengting was awake that he finally made a sound. 

Xukun had apologized, “I shouldn’t have taken advantage of your emotional distress. You were upset, I shouldn’t have fed.”

“I should be the one to apologise instead, I shouldn’t have directed my anger at you.” Zhengting said. Xukun accepts Zhengting’s apology but asked for Zhengting to accepts his too.

Things fell silent afterwards, with Zhengting still lying on bed and Xukun seated on a chair next to the bed, not at all like the previous time Zhengting had bared some of his secrets to Xukun, no this time the two had felt awfully distant.

Neither one of them knew what this was between them, relationship way too ambiguous that things were starting to become awkward. But no, Xukun doesn’t want awkwardness. His heart may have long stopped beating, but meeting Zhengting had injected new warmth into his life. He finally had someone to care for again and he didn’t want to lose him.

“You probably guessed it but I did know it was you. I had met you first at the café, and I saw the most beautiful smile ever. I wanted to see it more so I went back, wanted to see you again. I was looking for a donor at that time, but I didn’t see you as a donor when I met you in the café. And when I went for the auction, I didn’t see you as a donor either, I bid because it was you, not for your blood. I now know that it was not a good idea, to have this contract tying you down and making you think that I have power over you. But that was not my intention, I just wanted to be with you and I didn’t want others having you.”

Zhengting’s eyes was staring right into his red ones, those beautiful brown orbs shining under the light.

“I know you are dealing with a lot now, but if it’s possible, maybe we can start over? Like how it was in the café before the contract.” Xukun suggested, red eyes hopeful despite the way his mind braced for a possible rejection.

His heart may have stopped but it wasn’t dead.


	4. Chapter 4

“I am going to start watching my caffeine intake, because you make my heart palpitate.”

As those words left Zhengting’s mouth, Xukun could have sworn he had a hearing problem. Like he was definitely relieved, or even overjoyed, to know that he makes Zhengting’s heart race, but was he even listening to what Xukun had been saying all this time?

After a silence that had possibly drawn on for too long, with Xukun confused and Zhengting embarrassed, cheeks burning bright red, the latter finally explained, “I have always wanted to give you a reply, to all the notes you left behind…” Zhengting’s voice had gotten softer over time, just as his cheeks burned redder, but it doesn’t matter because Xukun had heard exactly what he had said and found the sight of him being so shy so adorable.

That day, Zhengting got off Xukun’s car with the other’s phone number, something that should have gotten from one another months ago when the contract had first started.

 

The two chatted through their newly exchanged numbers, sharing parts of their lives with the other, something they never had done. They talked about mundane everyday things, from what they ate that day, to how boring class was, to what movie they last watched. It was as though the contract between them never happened, and that they had met and got to know each other under more common and usual circumstances.

 

Then came Wednesday, the day of dance showcase, and while Zhengting was not able to perform, he still turned up at the concert hall. There was no doubt that he did feel a tinge of regret, disappointment and even shame being there with his ankle still wrapped up in those bandages, a constant reminder of what had happened. But he tried to ignore all that, tried to focus on cheering for his friends, tried to focus on the one person that was there with him that day.

He had finally mustered up the courage to ask Xukun to join him for the showcase only a couple of days ago, because while the thought of having be there made him anxious, having Xukun with him seemed to make him feel safer, that he had someone he could fall back on. Maybe he would be able to make it through…

The two had arrived at the venue pretty much on time just as planned so that Zhengting wouldn’t have had much time for his thoughts to run wild as they rushed to find the seats Justin had reserved for them. That of course had meant that Zhengting had to tell Justin about Xukun and the latest developments between them, something which Justin had not taken well at all.

Zhengting could clearly remember the way the younger had looked so shocked, going on to give a whole speech about how they barely know each other, that Xukun cannot be trusted and that Xukun’s identity as a vampire puts Zhengting in such great danger. At that point, Zhengting had seriously wondered just who was the older one among them, just how can someone so young be this naggy?

But Zhengting also remembered how Justin had comforted him after the younger had a chance to calm down, citing that he was just worried and that he didn’t want his closest friend to get hurt. Thinking about that had put a small smile on his face, one that immediately fell though when Zhengting found out that Justin was going to be seated right next to them for the showcase.

 

As Zhengting watched performance after performance by his friends and juniors, he felt a slight ache in his chest, the flood of emotions threatening to wash over him all over again. But seeing how each and every one of them had put on such beautiful performances, he could only find it in himself to cheer for them, screaming their names so loud along with Justin while hoping they could drown out the softest voices of doubts in his head.

As the final performance had ended, that was when Zhengting started to feel the lump building in his throat, the tears welling in his eyes. He was supposed to close the show.

If he had not injured himself, this would be the time for him to shine, to showcase the fruits of his labour. But he wasn’t going to, wasn’t able to, the show was cut short because of what had happened.

He wasn’t sure how it happened, but it seemed as though the silver haired seated beside him had realized what was going on, a hand moving to grab onto his, squeezing his hand slightly, hoping to provide some form of comfort.

 

Over the course of the next few weeks, the two grew closer, but they themselves may not be aware of it. They had slowly started to incorporate one another into more and more aspects of their lives, they would meet up outside of feeding or at the café, and would also spend most of their free time apart chatting with on another on the phone, Zhengting had even introduced Xukun to his group of close friends.

When they were out together, the distance between the two had reduced, their longing gazes at one another lengthened and the fluttering feeling they experienced became more frequent.

When they were over at Xukun’s place on Fridays, they would spend the moments before feeding laughing at something stupid each other did while the actual feeding was carried out in a comfortable silence before they went on to cuddle in bed for the night. Zhengting had also slowly started to leave more of his stuff at the vampire’s home. His sweatpants, shoes and skincare products had started to litter the once pristine place. Xukun had also got Zhengting his own set of toothbrush, towels and mugs for all those times the latter decides to crash his house for no apparent reason and spend the night there. In fact, Xukun had been spending more time in his guestroom with Zhengting than in his own master bedroom.

 

With the two behaving like this, there is no surprise that Justin and their friend group had found out about this budding relationship. And given how Justin had not approved of them, together with his knack of sticking his nose into Zhengting’s business, he had ended up stalking the two when they were out on one of their “not dates”.

Justin’s original intention had been to confront Xukun, preferably when Zhengting wasn’t around, to find out what he may be up to and if he really had feelings for Justin’s beloved friend. But he soon realized he didn’t have a way of getting to Xukun without Zhengting knowing about it. The only place he knew for sure that he could find the vampire had been at the café, but Zhengting would surely see him. And this was how Justin ended up stalking Zhengting as the other headed out to meet who Justin guessed would be Xukun.

Justin’s plan was to follow them around until Zhengting finally went home, then, he would go and approach Xukun, that was his plan. What he did not expect was to see just how absolutely sweet and sickeningly cute the two had been together. He saw how hard they made each other laugh, how bright their smiles had been together. With Xukun, Zhengting looked as though he was able to throw away all his worries and burdens and just focus on how much fun he was having at the moment. And Xukun had seemed to enjoy himself just as much, with those sweet gazes he sent Zhengting told Justin that their feelings were mutual.

And that was how Justin finally accepted this relationship, though he may had still went and issued a warning about what he would do if Xukun ever hurts Zhengting.

 

Without anyone realizing, it was close to the three-month mark since the contract had started. Crimson had been contacting both Zhengting and Xukun a lot recently, wanting to check up on them and to help make any necessary arrangements. Truth be told, the two had completely forgot everything about the contract ever since the showcase, both having gotten so comfortable with one another and the way things were to even realize how things might be coming to an end. 

And now that this contract binding them together was ending, everything suddenly feels so uncertain all over again. 

A small bubble of worry had started to work its way into Zhengting’s thoughts, making him paranoid about the status of this relationship that had been blossoming between him and Xukun. He knows that it was unlikely to happen but the thoughts of Xukun leaving after the contract is over occupied his mind, this was worsened by the fact that they both know that he didn’t want to continue the contract. Zhengting had found himself feeling really safe and happy the past few weeks, having found someone that cared for him and someone he was comfortable around, making him even more unwilling to lose this special someone.

The way these thoughts bugged Zhengting was obvious, could be seen from the way he acted, and naturally, the vampire picked up on it, urging him to seat Zhengting down one day for another talk much like the one they had during their first contractual feeding.

“Something’s bothering you lately, want to share?” Xukun’s hands reached for Zhengting’s, holding them as he stared intently at the other’s brown eyes.

“It’s almost three months now, the contract is ending…” Zhengting lowered his eyes, staring at the hem of his sweater, as his hands were busy fiddling with it. 

Xukun stayed silent, allowing the other to continue, to share everything that had been troubling him lately, giving him time.

“Will we continue after this? I know we never made it clear what we are… but I enjoy being together with you, I don’t want this to go away… I want this to stay… I want you to stay…” Zhengting said, voice going softer and softer as he held out hope that this could go really well, but at the same time bracing himself for a possible heartbreak.

What he missed though, because he had refused to look at the other, was the way Xukun’s smile grew wider and wider with each word Zhengting had uttered. And when Zhengting had finished, the vampire immediately pulled Zhengting into a bone-crushing hug. Xukun knew that he liked the other romantically, and that the other did return his feelings, but hearing Zhengting voice out how he wanted Xukun to stay made his still heart swell in happiness. “I want to stay, I will stay, as long as you want me to.”

 

It was only later, after they had both calmed down, that they had realized that they both had been very happy with the way things had been the past few weeks, but they hadn’t wanted to continue the contract, both of them. They had the same sentiments but had not told the other because they were worried that the other would misunderstand, would think that they were not wanted when that was the opposite of the truth.

While the contract had brought them both together, had given them a chance to know the other, there was no doubt that it had also stunted any developments in the relationship. The contract had made the things between them too professional, had became a strict governor of what they can and cannot do, had made Zhengting feel compelled to fulfill certain terms, all of which were nothing they had wanted in a relationship.

 

Once the three-month mark was finally passed, the two hadn’t fed. Xukun had still visited the café every so often, they had still went out on dates which often resulted in Zhengting spending the night over at Xukun’s place, and all those things Zhengting had brought over during those weeks still laid around in Xukun’s place.

But they did not feed.

Xukun had not brought it up, and while Zhengting had wondered about Xukun’s source of blood now, he hadn’t dared to ask. That was until he had walked in on Xukun feeding on those bags of blood.

 

Xukun hadn’t want to pressure Zhengting into feeding again, which was why he had made sure to not bring it up and to not feed in front of the latter.

But that week, he had made a mistake. Xukun had been pretty preoccupied actually, and had not been keeping track of his blood intake at all, causing him to wake up feeling absolutely parched. His throat had felt so dry and hoarse, his mind foggy while his body rigid. He had woke up next to Zhengting whom he had been cuddling all night, had been laying right next to. The proximity to a source of fresh blood under his current state had driven his thirst into overdrive, making his fangs lengthen without Xukun having intended to. 

Thankfully, Xukun had still been able to force himself out of the room, making a mad rush over to his own room where he had kept all the blood bags, and tearing right into them the moment he laid hands on them.

Things had gotten really messy, blood slipping out from the huge tears he had made, dripping everywhere, on his clothes, on the floor. It hadn’t been a pretty sight, but it was the sight Zhengting had seen as he tried to find Xukun after waking up from all that noise.

The atmosphere had been tense, neither of them quite expecting what had happened to happen. Both of them had been too shocked to move, but as they had recovered, Zhengting had immediately shut the door and headed back to the guest room where he came from. He hadn’t quite know what to do, was Xukun angry or upset? Which parts of the house was he not allowed in? Had he seen something that he shouldn’t have?

There, Zhengting laid, tugging the blankets all the way up so that it enveloped him entirely, seeking comfort in any way he could even if it was just from blankets that smelled like Xukun.

It had taken twenty minutes before Xukun had finally returned to the guest room, in a fresh set of clothes and looking less ghastly pale than before. He sat down gently on the bed, next to where Zhengting had laid, reaching out to run his hand through the other’s hair that had been poking out of the blankets.

Xukun had to admit he had been pretty surprised but also relieved to see Zhengting not flinch upon his touch. In fact, the way the other had leaned into his palm, wiggling out of the blankets to give him that bright beautiful smile he loved so much had made him feel really heartened. 

“You are not afraid of me?” Xukun had asked.

“No, I know you wouldn’t hurt me.” Zhengting had replied, but unlike every other time where he had been the one to avoid Xukun’s eyes, he had been staring directly at them instead. “But I want you to talk with me about this, don’t keep it all to yourself, let me help you. You always make sure that I eat and even cook for me when you don’t even need food to survive, let me do the same for you.”

 

Two weeks later, Xukun fed from Zhengting again, but unlike back during those three months, they weren’t feeding because of some words they had both signed to, but because they needed yet wanted to, because they chose to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the late update! school had started and i was occupied. although this may not have been a super long piece of work, seeing it end does make me feel a little proud yet also sad. this was one of my very first fic ideas that i came up with quite a long time ago, back when i hadn't even really thought i would actually be writing my ideas out. this is not perfect, i know it isn't, but I'm just proud of myself for having started to write my ideas out. and now that this is complete, i am a little sad to say goodbye to it. but anyways, thank you for reading till the end! and i hope you enjoyed it!


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